Creative Blog

Pre-CoMotion Guide

Going to a large networking event/motion design conference for your first time can be a little intimidating. It will be my first year attending SCAD’s Motion Design conference “CoMotion” and I have been gathering tidbits of info and recommendations about how to approach some of the facets of this conference, from Portfolio Review tips to local recommendations to help you with your networking.

What to Bring:

Notepad - When taking notes at panels, don’t use a laptop or your phone, it will make you look disinterested

Water - There may not always be water accessible to you, so be prepared

Snacks - Keep your energy up and perhaps stave away the hunger if you don’t want to leave for lunch during the event

Laptop/iPad - Companies are gonna look at your work, so show them what you have with your website pulled up already. ALSO: Have a backup saved offline in case Wifi doesn’t end up working

Resumes - Bring more than you need, but at least one per portfolio review. Keep in mind there may be a few people reviewing you at the same times

Business Cards - Have about 50 at the very least. A polite way to ask for a business card back is to imply it with a simple “Do you mind exchanging business cards with me?”

Portfolio Review Tips:

Agencies are looking for your best work, that’s a given. Keep in mind, your portfolio is only as strong as your worst design.

You only have 15 minutes to chat, so it’s best to come prepared with your portfolio pulled up on your iPad or laptop already so you can get straight to business.

Show up 15 minutes (or more) early. This will give you time to orient yourself, calm down, and think through everything you want to say and talk about.

Dress as the best version of yourself. Professor Duff says “If you wear Tee shirts all the time, now’s the best time to bust out that limited edition shirt and sneakers you’ve been saving for just the right occasion”. This is the occasion.

This is both a portfolio review and a job interview. This is the time to make a good impression. However, that’s a lot of pressure. Think of it as just like meeting a new SCAD student and starting a conversation to get to know somebody new and become acquainted with them.

Networking Tips:

Remember they’re human, too. They will be asked all day about stuff relating to motion graphics. When you approach them, it’s fine to talk about something else.

Start with a question. People are good at talking about themselves, so as you show interest in them, they are more likely to open up if you start in this way.

Make eye contact, smile, etc. Body language goes a long way.

Be confident in your work. Sometimes this sells you as a person and speaks just as loudly as the work you do.

Be aware of their time. They may be tired. Know when to cut the conversation short.

Make local recommendations. Some of them may not have been to Savannah before and may want to know the closest place to grab a beer or some grub.

Local Recommendations:

NOTE: The event will take place at Arnold Hall and the SCAD Museum this year. Here’s a few places around the Museum to eat at or recommend to guests:

Gunner Animations Overview

Gunner Animation. A name I only just heard about on the School of Motion Podcast because, yes, I have been living under a rock until quite recently. I love their many simple but beautiful executions of animation and storytelling, and the video above is one of my favorites in particular. Best part is, they also show snippets of their process. Just looking at this piece inspires me to use more hand-drawn animation in my motion graphics. Take a look at their site at www.gunner.work and while you're at it, look up www.schoolofmotion.com for more amazing stuff.

August 15, 2018

Thoughts on "Steal Like an Artist"

For a quick read on boosting creativity, I recommend checking out Austin Kelon's "Steal Like an Artist" book. His list of ten habits and exercises to get you out of a creative rut are witty and refreshing. Here's the basic overview list he gives:

Steal like an artist.

Don’t wait until you know who you are to get started.

Write the book you want to read.

Use your hands.

Side projects and hobbies are important.

The secret: do good work and share it with people.

Geography is no longer our master.

Be nice. (The world is a small town.)

Be boring. (It’s the only way to get work done.)

Creativity is subtraction.

Some of the most useful advice I found was "don't wait until you know who you are to get started". Kelon elaborates that often times artists get more caught up in making a name for themselves than actually making what they want to make. I realize that this can be a good reminder to just make, make, make and don't worry about the outcome. This was good motivation for me to start doing a drawing every day so I can get into the habit of creating, whether it's good or bad, and use social media (Instagram specifically) as the accountability for it. A friend of mine at No Sleep Creative has been doing this for 650+ days and counting. This was something I started doing a long time ago with pen and paper but stopped when "life got busy". But, now that I own a digital tablet, I'm telling myself I no longer have that excuse, because I can make drawings on the fly and post instantaneously. You don't have to feel like you need anything fancy, just do whatever works best for you.

"Write the book you want to read" also stood out to me because it's so simple, yet brilliant. Growing up I was a HUGH Harry Potter fan (proud to be Ravenclaw), and I would write fan comics and stories all the time. Sometimes when you get excited about something you love, and want to write your own continuation or spin off, it can get you out of your own creative rut. If you end up posting it, you never know if others will get excited about it too! It's all about fostering your passions and using your excitement to create.

One more thing. "Be boring" really challenged me. I am an ambivert who recharges alone but also I get really excited to be around people, especially if they're gathered for a common purpose that excites me (ie Anime/Comic Conventions). I prefer to stay busy as well, and that means I say 'yes' to a lot of things and people. What I gleaned from this short chapter was a whole Mighty-Kids-Meal sized nugget of truth: I need to slow down and use my time for my work, rather than put it off by "staying busy".

Overall, this book helped me realize more 'think outside the bun' methods that challenged and entertained me. I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a refreshing perspective, or anyone who's just bored and needs a good looking book for their coffee tables. Ten out of ten, would read again.

April 30, 2018

What is done with love is done well.

— Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh was a man of passion and commitment. This quote inspires me to be better at being passionate about what I do. I believe that all work, when done with love, is a work of art. Whether you study, or write, or cook, or sing, or draw, or film, or act out, or say-- it can all be art.

April 17, 2018

Kiki's Delivery Service kind of perfectly describes what it's like to be a Millennial Starving Artist. She can fly, and many can use their talents in amazing ways as well, but often find ourselves having to pick up a part time job or a mundane job to support us.

March 29, 2018

2017 in Review

The past 6 months I have had the honor of working as an Innovation Catalyst intern with Disney's Yellow Shoes (a creative agency within Disney that makes advertisements and promotional material). I've been in Florida for the duration of Hurricane Irma. My family was in Texas for the Houston floods. My buddies had family in Vegas during the shooting. It's been a crazy and wild year - Google's Year in Review kind of sums up the craziness we've faced this year as well as a lot of triumphs. Here's to another year; may we continue to search and move forward.